Next Issue
Volume 20, July
Previous Issue
Volume 20, May
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
2.1
Journals
Entropy
Volume 20
Issue 6
entropy-logo

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Entropy, Volume 20, Issue 6 (June 2018) – 89 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): As far back as 1957, Andrew M. Gleason suggested that, in perfect measurements, quantum probabilities can be formalized by taking an arbitrary orthonormal basis and forming the absolute squares of the length of the projections of the state vector onto the vectors of that basis. In that way, positivity and, in particular, additivity are guaranteed for mutually exclusive co-measurable events corresponding to that basis. View this paper
  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
  • You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.
Order results
Result details
Section
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
15 pages, 511 KiB  
Article
Inferring the Population Mean with Second-Order Information in Online Social Networks
by Saran Chen, Xin Lu, Zhong Liu and Zhongwei Jia
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060480 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3824
Abstract
With the increasing use of online social networking platforms, online surveys are widely used in many fields, e.g., public health, business and sociology, to collect samples and to infer the population characteristics through self-reported data of respondents. Although the online surveys can protect [...] Read more.
With the increasing use of online social networking platforms, online surveys are widely used in many fields, e.g., public health, business and sociology, to collect samples and to infer the population characteristics through self-reported data of respondents. Although the online surveys can protect the privacy of respondents, self-reporting is challenged by a low response rate and unreliable answers when the survey contains sensitive questions, such as drug use, sexual behaviors, abortion or criminal activity. To overcome this limitation, this paper develops an approach that collects the second-order information of the respondents, i.e., asking them about the characteristics of their friends, instead of asking the respondents’ own characteristics directly. Then, we generate the inference about the population variable with the Hansen-Hurwitz estimator for the two classic sampling strategies (simple random sampling or random walk-based sampling). The method is evaluated by simulations on both artificial and real-world networks. Results show that the method is able to generate population estimates with high accuracy without knowing the respondents’ own characteristics, and the biases of estimates under various settings are relatively small and are within acceptable limits. The new method offers an alternative way for implementing surveys online and is expected to be able to collect more reliable data with improved population inference on sensitive variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Frontier in Chaos Theory and Complex Networks)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 356 KiB  
Editorial
Phenomenological Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes
by Yongqi Wang and Kolumban Hutter
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060479 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3864
Abstract
n/a Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenomenological Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes)
8 pages, 369 KiB  
Article
GHZ States as Tripartite PR Boxes: Classical Limit and Retrocausality
by Daniel Rohrlich and Guy Hetzroni
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060478 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4577
Abstract
We review an argument that bipartite “PR-box” correlations, though designed to respect relativistic causality, in fact violate relativistic causality in the classical limit. As a test of this argument, we consider Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) correlations as a tripartite version of PR-box correlations, and ask [...] Read more.
We review an argument that bipartite “PR-box” correlations, though designed to respect relativistic causality, in fact violate relativistic causality in the classical limit. As a test of this argument, we consider Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) correlations as a tripartite version of PR-box correlations, and ask whether the argument extends to GHZ correlations. If it does—i.e., if it shows that GHZ correlations violate relativistic causality in the classical limit—then the argument must be incorrect (since GHZ correlations do respect relativistic causality in the classical limit.) However, we find that the argument does not extend to GHZ correlations. We also show that both PR-box correlations and GHZ correlations can be retrocausal, but the retrocausality of PR-box correlations leads to self-contradictory causal loops, while the retrocausality of GHZ correlations does not. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Nonlocality)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 4375 KiB  
Article
The Complexity Measures Associated with the Fluctuations of the Entropy in Natural Time before the Deadly México M8.2 Earthquake on 7 September 2017
by Alejandro Ramírez-Rojas, Elsa Leticia Flores-Márquez, Nicholas V. Sarlis and Panayiotis A. Varotsos
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060477 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4325
Abstract
We analyse seismicity during the 6-year period 2012–2017 in the new time domain termed natural time in the Chiapas region where the M8.2 earthquake occurred, Mexico’s largest earthquake in more than a century, in order to study the complexity measures associated with fluctuations [...] Read more.
We analyse seismicity during the 6-year period 2012–2017 in the new time domain termed natural time in the Chiapas region where the M8.2 earthquake occurred, Mexico’s largest earthquake in more than a century, in order to study the complexity measures associated with fluctuations of entropy as well as with entropy change under time reversal. We find that almost three months before the M8.2 earthquake, i.e., on 14 June 2017, the complexity measure associated with the fluctuations of entropy change under time reversal shows an abrupt increase, which, however, does not hold for the complexity measure associated with the fluctuations of entropy in forward time. On the same date, the entropy change under time reversal has been previously found to exhibit a minimum [Physica A 506, 625–634 (2018)]; we thus find here that this minimum is also accompanied by increased fluctuations of the entropy change under time reversal. In addition, we find a simultaneous increase of the Tsallis entropic index q. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Methods of Complex Systems in Earthquake Physics including Precursory Phenomena)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 481 KiB  
Article
Approach to Evaluating Accounting Informatization Based on Entropy in Intuitionistic Fuzzy Environment
by Ming Li, Wendan Wei, Jialin Wang and Xiaoyu Qi
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060476 - 20 Jun 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5390
Abstract
Accounting informatization is an important part of enterprise informatization. It affects the accounting and finance operational efficiency. With the comprehensive evaluation of accounting informatization from multiple aspects, we can find the strengths and weaknesses of corporate accounting informatization, which then can be improved [...] Read more.
Accounting informatization is an important part of enterprise informatization. It affects the accounting and finance operational efficiency. With the comprehensive evaluation of accounting informatization from multiple aspects, we can find the strengths and weaknesses of corporate accounting informatization, which then can be improved precisely. In this paper, an evaluation approach of accounting informatization is proposed. Firstly, the evaluation index system is constructed from the aspects of strategic position, infrastructure construction, implementation of accounting informatization, informatization guarantee, and application efficiency. Considering the complexity and ambiguity of the index, experts are required to give linguistic ratings which are then converted into intuitionistic fuzzy number. Then, an entropy and cross entropy method based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets is proposed to derive the weights of experts so as to reduce the error caused by personal bias. By combining the weights of the index and weighted ratings, the evaluation results are obtained. Finally, a case of accounting information evaluation is given to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The 20th Anniversary of Entropy - Recent Advances in Entropy and Information-Theoretic Concepts and Their Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 10460 KiB  
Article
Approaching Retinal Ganglion Cell Modeling and FPGA Implementation for Robotics
by Alejandro Linares-Barranco, Hongjie Liu, Antonio Rios-Navarro, Francisco Gomez-Rodriguez, Diederik P. Moeys and Tobi Delbruck
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 475; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060475 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6064
Abstract
Taking inspiration from biology to solve engineering problems using the organizing principles of biological neural computation is the aim of the field of neuromorphic engineering. This field has demonstrated success in sensor based applications (vision and audition) as well as in cognition and [...] Read more.
Taking inspiration from biology to solve engineering problems using the organizing principles of biological neural computation is the aim of the field of neuromorphic engineering. This field has demonstrated success in sensor based applications (vision and audition) as well as in cognition and actuators. This paper is focused on mimicking the approaching detection functionality of the retina that is computed by one type of Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC) and its application to robotics. These RGCs transmit action potentials when an expanding object is detected. In this work we compare the software and hardware logic FPGA implementations of this approaching function and the hardware latency when applied to robots, as an attention/reaction mechanism. The visual input for these cells comes from an asynchronous event-driven Dynamic Vision Sensor, which leads to an end-to-end event based processing system. The software model has been developed in Java, and computed with an average processing time per event of 370 ns on a NUC embedded computer. The output firing rate for an approaching object depends on the cell parameters that represent the needed number of input events to reach the firing threshold. For the hardware implementation, on a Spartan 6 FPGA, the processing time is reduced to 160 ns/event with the clock running at 50 MHz. The entropy has been calculated to demonstrate that the system is not totally deterministic in response to approaching objects because of several bioinspired characteristics. It has been measured that a Summit XL mobile robot can react to an approaching object in 90 ms, which can be used as an attentional mechanism. This is faster than similar event-based approaches in robotics and equivalent to human reaction latencies to visual stimulus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 26th International Conference on Artificial Neural Networks - ICANN 2017)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 455 KiB  
Article
On Ontological Alternatives to Bohmian Mechanics
by Thomas Filk
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060474 - 19 Jun 2018
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5770
Abstract
The article describes an interpretation of the mathematical formalism of standard quantum mechanics in terms of relations. In particular, the wave function ψ(x) is interpreted as a complex-valued relation between an entity (often called “particle”) and a second entity x [...] Read more.
The article describes an interpretation of the mathematical formalism of standard quantum mechanics in terms of relations. In particular, the wave function ψ(x) is interpreted as a complex-valued relation between an entity (often called “particle”) and a second entity x (often called “spatial point”). Such complex-valued relations can also be formulated for classical physical systems. Entanglement is interpreted as a relation between two entities (particles or properties of particles). Such relations define the concept of “being next to each other”, which implies that entangled entities are close to each other, even though they might appear to be far away with respect to a classical background space. However, when space is also considered to be a network of relations (of which the classical background space is a large-scale continuum limit), such nearest neighbor configurations are possible. The measurement problem is discussed from the perspective of this interpretation. It should be emphasized that this interpretation is not meant to be a serious attempt to describe the ontology of our world, but its purpose is to make it obvious that, besides Bohmian mechanics, presumably many other ontological interpretations of quantum theory exist. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emergent Quantum Mechanics – David Bohm Centennial Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 957 KiB  
Article
Revisiting Entanglement within the Bohmian Approach to Quantum Mechanics
by Claudia Zander and Angel Ricardo Plastino
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060473 - 18 Jun 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4418
Abstract
We revisit the concept of entanglement within the Bohmian approach to quantum mechanics. Inspired by Bohmian dynamics, we introduce two partial measures for the amount of entanglement corresponding to a pure state of a pair of quantum particles. One of these measures is [...] Read more.
We revisit the concept of entanglement within the Bohmian approach to quantum mechanics. Inspired by Bohmian dynamics, we introduce two partial measures for the amount of entanglement corresponding to a pure state of a pair of quantum particles. One of these measures is associated with the statistical correlations exhibited by the joint probability density of the two Bohmian particles in configuration space. The other partial measure corresponds to the correlations associated with the phase of the joint wave function, and describes the non-separability of the Bohmian velocity field. The sum of these two components is equal to the total entanglement of the joint quantum state, as measured by the linear entropy of the single-particle reduced density matrix. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Foundations: 90 Years of Uncertainty)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 306 KiB  
Article
Quantum Statistical Manifolds
by Jan Naudts
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 472; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060472 - 17 Jun 2018
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4104 | Correction
Abstract
Quantum information geometry studies families of quantum states by means of differential geometry. A new approach is followed with the intention to facilitate the introduction of a more general theory in subsequent work. To this purpose, the emphasis is shifted from a manifold [...] Read more.
Quantum information geometry studies families of quantum states by means of differential geometry. A new approach is followed with the intention to facilitate the introduction of a more general theory in subsequent work. To this purpose, the emphasis is shifted from a manifold of strictly positive density matrices to a manifold of faithful quantum states on the C*-algebra of bounded linear operators. In addition, ideas from the parameter-free approach to information geometry are adopted. The underlying Hilbert space is assumed to be finite-dimensional. In this way, technicalities are avoided so that strong results are obtained, which one can hope to prove later on in a more general context. Two different atlases are introduced, one in which it is straightforward to show that the quantum states form a Banach manifold, the other which is compatible with the inner product of Bogoliubov and which yields affine coordinates for the exponential connection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Entropy: From Physics to Information Sciences and Geometry)
19 pages, 1205 KiB  
Article
Coupled Node Similarity Learning for Community Detection in Attributed Networks
by Fanrong Meng, Xiaobin Rui, Zhixiao Wang, Yan Xing and Longbing Cao
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060471 - 17 Jun 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5158
Abstract
Attributed networks consist of not only a network structure but also node attributes. Most existing community detection algorithms only focus on network structures and ignore node attributes, which are also important. Although some algorithms using both node attributes and network structure information have [...] Read more.
Attributed networks consist of not only a network structure but also node attributes. Most existing community detection algorithms only focus on network structures and ignore node attributes, which are also important. Although some algorithms using both node attributes and network structure information have been proposed in recent years, the complex hierarchical coupling relationships within and between attributes, nodes and network structure have not been considered. Such hierarchical couplings are driving factors in community formation. This paper introduces a novel coupled node similarity (CNS) to involve and learn attribute and structure couplings and compute the similarity within and between nodes with categorical attributes in a network. CNS learns and integrates the frequency-based intra-attribute coupled similarity within an attribute, the co-occurrence-based inter-attribute coupled similarity between attributes, and coupled attribute-to-structure similarity based on the homophily property. CNS is then used to generate the weights of edges and transfer a plain graph to a weighted graph. Clustering algorithms detect community structures that are topologically well-connected and semantically coherent on the weighted graphs. Extensive experiments verify the effectiveness of CNS-based community detection algorithms on several data sets by comparing with the state-of-the-art node similarity measures, whether they involve node attribute information and hierarchical interactions, and on various levels of network structure complexity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Frontier in Chaos Theory and Complex Networks)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 10023 KiB  
Article
Noise Enhanced Signal Detection of Variable Detectors under Certain Constraints
by Ting Yang, Shujun Liu, Wenguo Liu, Jishun Guo and Pin Wang
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060470 - 17 Jun 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3424
Abstract
In this paper, a noise enhanced binary hypothesis-testing problem was studied for a variable detector under certain constraints in which the detection probability can be increased and the false-alarm probability can be decreased simultaneously. According to the constraints, three alternative cases are proposed, [...] Read more.
In this paper, a noise enhanced binary hypothesis-testing problem was studied for a variable detector under certain constraints in which the detection probability can be increased and the false-alarm probability can be decreased simultaneously. According to the constraints, three alternative cases are proposed, the first two cases concerned minimization of the false-alarm probability and maximization of the detection probability without deterioration of one by the other, respectively, and the third case was achieved by a randomization of two optimal noise enhanced solutions obtained in the first two limit cases. Furthermore, the noise enhanced solutions that satisfy the three cases were determined whether randomization between different detectors was allowed or not. In addition, the practicality of the third case was proven from the perspective of Bayes risk. Finally, numerous examples and conclusions are presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Foundations of Statistics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 4405 KiB  
Article
Impact of Multi-Causal Transport Mechanisms in an Electrolyte Supported Planar SOFC with (ZrO2)x−1(Y2O3)x Electrolyte
by Gerardo Valadez Huerta, Vincent Flasbart, Tobias Marquardt, Pablo Radici and Stephan Kabelac
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060469 - 16 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4502
Abstract
The calculation of the entropy production rate within an operational high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is necessary to design and improve heating and cooling strategies. However, due to a lack of information, most of the studies are limited to empirical relations, [...] Read more.
The calculation of the entropy production rate within an operational high temperature solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is necessary to design and improve heating and cooling strategies. However, due to a lack of information, most of the studies are limited to empirical relations, which are not in line with the more general approach given by non-equilibrium thermodynamics (NET). The SOFC 1D-model presented in this study is based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and we parameterize it with experimental data and data from molecular dynamics (MD). The validation of the model shows that it can effectively describe the behavior of a SOFC at 1300 K. Moreover, we show that the highest entropy production is present in the electrolyte and the catalyst layers, and that the Peltier heat transfer is considerable for the calculation of the heat flux in the electrolyte and cannot be neglected. To our knowledge, this is the first validated model of a SOFC based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and this study can be extended to analyze SOFCs with other solid oxide electrolytes, with perovskites electrolytes or even other electrochemical systems like solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature of Heat and Entropy: Fundamentals and Applications for Diverse and Sustainable Future)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

10 pages, 643 KiB  
Article
Analytic Solution for a Complex Network of Chaotic Oscillators
by Jonathan N. Blakely, Marko S. Milosavljevic and Ned J. Corron
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060468 - 16 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3627
Abstract
Chaotic evolution is generally too irregular to be captured in an analytic solution. Nonetheless, some dynamical systems do have such solutions enabling more rigorous analysis than can be achieved with numerical solutions. Here, we introduce a method of coupling solvable chaotic oscillators that [...] Read more.
Chaotic evolution is generally too irregular to be captured in an analytic solution. Nonetheless, some dynamical systems do have such solutions enabling more rigorous analysis than can be achieved with numerical solutions. Here, we introduce a method of coupling solvable chaotic oscillators that maintains solvability. In fact, an analytic solution is given for an entire network of coupled oscillators. Importantly, a valid chaotic solution is shown even when the coupling topology is complex and the population of oscillators is heterogeneous. We provide a specific example of a solvable chaotic network with star topology and a hub that oscillates much faster than its leaves. We present analytic solutions as the coupling strength is varied showing states of varying degrees of global organization. The covariance of the network is derived explicity from the analytic solution characterizing the degree of synchronization across the network as the coupling strength varies. This example suggests that analytic solutions may constitute a new tool in the study of chaotic network dynamics generally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Frontier in Chaos Theory and Complex Networks)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

35 pages, 917 KiB  
Article
Strong Secrecy on a Class of Degraded Broadcast Channels Using Polar Codes
by Jaume Del Olmo Alos and Javier Rodríguez Fonollosa
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060467 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3005
Abstract
Asymptotic secrecy-capacity achieving polar coding schemes are proposed for the memoryless degraded broadcast channel under different reliability and secrecy requirements: layered decoding or layered secrecy. In these settings, the transmitter wishes to send multiple messages to a set of legitimate receivers keeping them [...] Read more.
Asymptotic secrecy-capacity achieving polar coding schemes are proposed for the memoryless degraded broadcast channel under different reliability and secrecy requirements: layered decoding or layered secrecy. In these settings, the transmitter wishes to send multiple messages to a set of legitimate receivers keeping them masked from a set of eavesdroppers. The layered decoding structure requires receivers with better channel quality to reliably decode more messages, while the layered secrecy structure requires eavesdroppers with worse channel quality to be kept ignorant of more messages. Practical constructions for the proposed polar coding schemes are discussed and their performance evaluated by means of simulations. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 262 KiB  
Article
The Gibbs Paradox and Particle Individuality
by Dennis Dieks
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060466 - 15 Jun 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5218
Abstract
A consensus seems to have developed that the Gibbs paradox in classical thermodynamics (the discontinuous drop in the entropy of mixing when the mixed gases become equal to each other) is unmysterious: in any actual situation, two gases can be separated or not, [...] Read more.
A consensus seems to have developed that the Gibbs paradox in classical thermodynamics (the discontinuous drop in the entropy of mixing when the mixed gases become equal to each other) is unmysterious: in any actual situation, two gases can be separated or not, and the associated harmless discontinuity from “yes” to “no” is responsible for the discontinuity. By contrast, the Gibbs paradox in statistical physics continues to attract attention. Here, the problem is that standard calculations in statistical mechanics predict a non-vanishing value of the entropy of mixing even when two gases of the same kind are mixed, in conflict with thermodynamic predictions. This version of the Gibbs paradox is often seen as a sign that there is something fundamentally wrong with either the traditional expression S=klnW or with the way W is calculated. It is the aim of this article to review the situation from the orthodox (as opposed to information theoretic) standpoint. We demonstrate how the standard formalism is not only fully capable of dealing with the paradox, but also provides an intuitively clear picture of the relevant physical mechanisms. In particular, we pay attention to the explanatory relevance of the existence of particle trajectories in the classical context. We also discuss how the paradox survives the transition to quantum mechanics, in spite of the symmetrization postulates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gibbs Paradox 2018)
21 pages, 476 KiB  
Article
Ontological Clarity via Canonical Presentation: Electromagnetism and the Aharonov–Bohm Effect
by Tim Maudlin
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 465; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060465 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 34 | Viewed by 8280
Abstract
Quantum physics demands some radical revision of our fundamental beliefs about physical reality. We know that because there are certain verified physical phenomena—two-slit interference, the disappearance of interference upon monitoring, violations of Bell’s inequality—that have no classical analogs. But the exact nature of [...] Read more.
Quantum physics demands some radical revision of our fundamental beliefs about physical reality. We know that because there are certain verified physical phenomena—two-slit interference, the disappearance of interference upon monitoring, violations of Bell’s inequality—that have no classical analogs. But the exact nature of that revision has been under dispute since the foundation of quantum theory. I offer a method of clarifying what the commitments of a clearly formulated physical theory are, and apply it to a discussion of some options available to account for another non-classical phenomenon: the Aharonov–Bohm effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emergent Quantum Mechanics – David Bohm Centennial Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
Non-Quadratic Distances in Model Assessment
by Marianthi Markatou and Yang Chen
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060464 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3592
Abstract
One natural way to measure model adequacy is by using statistical distances as loss functions. A related fundamental question is how to construct loss functions that are scientifically and statistically meaningful. In this paper, we investigate non-quadratic distances and their role in assessing [...] Read more.
One natural way to measure model adequacy is by using statistical distances as loss functions. A related fundamental question is how to construct loss functions that are scientifically and statistically meaningful. In this paper, we investigate non-quadratic distances and their role in assessing the adequacy of a model and/or ability to perform model selection. We first present the definition of a statistical distance and its associated properties. Three popular distances, total variation, the mixture index of fit and the Kullback-Leibler distance, are studied in detail, with the aim of understanding their properties and potential interpretations that can offer insight into their performance as measures of model misspecification. A small simulation study exemplifies the performance of these measures and their application to different scientific fields is briefly discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Statistical Information Theory Based on Entropy and Divergence Measures)
17 pages, 5833 KiB  
Article
A Novel Delay Linear Coupling Logistics Map Model for Color Image Encryption
by Shouliang Li, Weikang Ding, Benshun Yin, Tongfeng Zhang and Yide Ma
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060463 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5277
Abstract
With the popularity of the Internet, the transmission of images has become more frequent. It is of great significance to study efficient and secure image encryption algorithms. Based on traditional Logistic maps and consideration of delay, we propose a new one-dimensional (1D) delay [...] Read more.
With the popularity of the Internet, the transmission of images has become more frequent. It is of great significance to study efficient and secure image encryption algorithms. Based on traditional Logistic maps and consideration of delay, we propose a new one-dimensional (1D) delay and linearly coupled Logistic chaotic map (DLCL) in this paper. Time delay is a common phenomenon in various complex systems in nature, and it will greatly change the dynamic characteristics of the system. The map is analyzed in terms of trajectory, Lyapunov exponent (LE) and Permutation entropy (PE). The results show that this map has wide chaotic range, better ergodicity and larger maximum LE in comparison with some existing chaotic maps. A new method of color image encryption is put forward based on DLCL. In proposed encryption algorithm, after various analysis, it has good encryption performance, and the key used for scrambling is related to the original image. It is illustrated by simulation results that the ciphered images have good pseudo randomness through our method. The proposed encryption algorithm has large key space and can effectively resist differential attack and chosen plaintext attack. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Frontier in Chaos Theory and Complex Networks)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 532 KiB  
Article
On Bohmian Mechanics, Particle Creation, and Relativistic Space-Time: Happy 100th Birthday, David Bohm!
by Roderich Tumulka
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060462 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 10475
Abstract
The biggest and most lasting among David Bohm’s (1917–1992) many achievements is to have proposed a picture of reality that explains the empirical rules of quantum mechanics. This picture, known as pilot wave theory or Bohmian mechanics among other names, is still the [...] Read more.
The biggest and most lasting among David Bohm’s (1917–1992) many achievements is to have proposed a picture of reality that explains the empirical rules of quantum mechanics. This picture, known as pilot wave theory or Bohmian mechanics among other names, is still the simplest and most convincing explanation available. According to this theory, electrons are point particles in the literal sense and move along trajectories governed by Bohm’s equation of motion. In this paper, I describe some more recent developments and extensions of Bohmian mechanics, concerning in particular relativistic space-time and particle creation and annihilation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emergent Quantum Mechanics – David Bohm Centennial Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

10 pages, 2202 KiB  
Article
Improving the Maximum Transmission Distance of Self-Referenced Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution Using a Noiseless Linear Amplifier
by Yijun Wang, Xudong Wang, Duan Huang and Ying Guo
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060461 - 14 Jun 2018
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4507
Abstract
We show that a noiseless linear amplifier (NLA) can be placed properly at the receiver’s end to improve the performance of self-referenced (SR) continuous variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) when the reference pulses are weak. In SR CV-QKD, the imperfections of the amplitude [...] Read more.
We show that a noiseless linear amplifier (NLA) can be placed properly at the receiver’s end to improve the performance of self-referenced (SR) continuous variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) when the reference pulses are weak. In SR CV-QKD, the imperfections of the amplitude modulator limit the maximal amplitude of the reference pulses, while the performance of SR CV-QKD is positively related to the amplitude of the reference pulses. An NLA can compensate the impacts of large phase noise introduced by the weak reference pulses. Simulation results derived from collective attacks show that this scheme can improve the performance of SR CV-QKD with weak reference pulses, in terms of extending maximum transmission distance. An NLA with a gain of g can increase the maximum transmission distance by the equivalent of 20log10g dB of losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Coherence in Open Quantum Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1252 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic Black Holes
by George Ruppeiner
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060460 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5284
Abstract
Black holes pose great difficulties for theory since gravity and quantum theory must be combined in some as yet unknown way. An additional difficulty is that detailed black hole observational data to guide theorists is lacking. In this paper, I sidestep the difficulties [...] Read more.
Black holes pose great difficulties for theory since gravity and quantum theory must be combined in some as yet unknown way. An additional difficulty is that detailed black hole observational data to guide theorists is lacking. In this paper, I sidestep the difficulties of combining gravity and quantum theory by employing black hole thermodynamics augmented by ideas from the information geometry of thermodynamics. I propose a purely thermodynamic agenda for choosing correct candidate black hole thermodynamic scaled equations of state, parameterized by two exponents. These two adjustable exponents may be set to accommodate additional black hole information, either from astrophysical observations or from some microscopic theory, such as string theory. My approach assumes implicitly that the as yet unknown microscopic black hole constituents have strong effective interactions between them, of a type found in critical phenomena. In this picture, the details of the microscopic interaction forces are not important, and the essential macroscopic picture emerges from general assumptions about the number of independent thermodynamic variables, types of critical points, boundary conditions, and analyticity. I use the simple Kerr and Reissner-Nordström black holes for guidance, and find candidate equations of state that embody several the features of these purely gravitational models. My approach may offer a productive new way to select black hole thermodynamic equations of state representing both gravitational and quantum properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geometry in Thermodynamics II)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 848 KiB  
Article
Recommending Queries by Extracting Thematic Experiences from Complex Search Tasks
by Yuli Zhao, Yin Zhang, Bin Zhang, Kening Gao and Pengfei Li
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060459 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3359
Abstract
Since complex search tasks are usually divided into subtasks, providing subtask-oriented query recommendations is an effective way to support complex search tasks. Currently, most subtask-oriented query recommendation methods extract subtasks from plain form search logs consisting of only queries and clicks, providing limited [...] Read more.
Since complex search tasks are usually divided into subtasks, providing subtask-oriented query recommendations is an effective way to support complex search tasks. Currently, most subtask-oriented query recommendation methods extract subtasks from plain form search logs consisting of only queries and clicks, providing limited clues to identify subtasks. Meanwhile, for several decades, the Computer Human Interface (CHI)/Human Computer Interaction (HCI) communities have been working on new complex search tools for the purpose of supporting rich user interactions beyond just queries and clicks, and thus providing rich form search logs with more clues for subtask identification. In this paper, we researched the provision of subtask-oriented query recommendations by extracting thematic experiences from the rich form search logs of complex search tasks logged in a proposed visual data structure. We introduce the tree structure of the visual data structure and propose a visual-based subtask identification method based on the visual data structure. We then introduce a personalized PageRank-based method to recommend queries by ranking nodes on the network from the identified subtasks. We evaluated the proposed methods in experiments consisting of informative and tentative search tasks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Frontier in Chaos Theory and Complex Networks)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1163 KiB  
Article
Vacuum Landscaping: Cause of Nonlocal Influences without Signaling
by Gerhard Grössing, Siegfried Fussy, Johannes Mesa Pascasio and Herbert Schwabl
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060458 - 13 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7069
Abstract
In the quest for an understanding of nonlocality with respect to an appropriate ontology, we propose a “cosmological solution”. We assume that from the beginning of the universe each point in space has been the location of a scalar field representing a zero-point [...] Read more.
In the quest for an understanding of nonlocality with respect to an appropriate ontology, we propose a “cosmological solution”. We assume that from the beginning of the universe each point in space has been the location of a scalar field representing a zero-point vacuum energy that nonlocally vibrates at a vast range of different frequencies across the whole universe. A quantum, then, is a nonequilibrium steady state in the form of a “bouncer” coupled resonantly to one of those (particle type dependent) frequencies, in remote analogy to the bouncing oil drops on an oscillating oil bath as in Couder’s experiments. A major difference to the latter analogy is given by the nonlocal nature of the vacuum oscillations. We show with the examples of double- and n-slit interference that the assumed nonlocality of the distribution functions alone suffices to derive the de Broglie–Bohm guiding equation for N particles with otherwise purely classical means. In our model, no influences from configuration space are required, as everything can be described in 3-space. Importantly, the setting up of an experimental arrangement limits and shapes the forward and osmotic contributions and is described as vacuum landscaping. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emergent Quantum Mechanics – David Bohm Centennial Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 337 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic Explanation of Landau Damping by Reduction to Hydrodynamics
by Michal Pavelka, Václav Klika and Miroslav Grmela
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060457 - 12 Jun 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3850
Abstract
Landau damping is the tendency of solutions to the Vlasov equation towards spatially homogeneous distribution functions. The distribution functions, however, approach the spatially homogeneous manifold only weakly, and Boltzmann entropy is not changed by the Vlasov equation. On the other hand, density and [...] Read more.
Landau damping is the tendency of solutions to the Vlasov equation towards spatially homogeneous distribution functions. The distribution functions, however, approach the spatially homogeneous manifold only weakly, and Boltzmann entropy is not changed by the Vlasov equation. On the other hand, density and kinetic energy density, which are integrals of the distribution function, approach spatially homogeneous states strongly, which is accompanied by growth of the hydrodynamic entropy. Such a behavior can be seen when the Vlasov equation is reduced to the evolution equations for density and kinetic energy density by means of the Ehrenfest reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mesoscopic Thermodynamics and Dynamics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1042 KiB  
Technical Note
Autonomous Exploration and Mapping with RFS Occupancy-Grid SLAM
by Branko Ristic and Jennifer L. Palmer
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060456 - 12 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5137
Abstract
This short note addresses the problem of autonomous on-line path-panning for exploration and occupancy-grid mapping using a mobile robot. The underlying algorithm for simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) is based on random-finite set (RFS) modelling of ranging sensor measurements, implemented as a Rao-Blackwellised [...] Read more.
This short note addresses the problem of autonomous on-line path-panning for exploration and occupancy-grid mapping using a mobile robot. The underlying algorithm for simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) is based on random-finite set (RFS) modelling of ranging sensor measurements, implemented as a Rao-Blackwellised particle filter. Path-planning in general must trade-off between exploration (which reduces the uncertainty in the map) and exploitation (which reduces the uncertainty in the robot pose). In this note we propose a reward function based on the Rényi divergence between the prior and the posterior densities, with RFS modelling of sensor measurements. This approach results in a joint map-pose uncertainty measure without a need to scale and tune their weights. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Information Theory, Probability and Statistics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3703 KiB  
Article
A Novel Fault Diagnosis Method of Rolling Bearings Based on AFEWT-KDEMI
by Mingtao Ge, Jie Wang, Fangfang Zhang, Ke Bai and Xiangyang Ren
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060455 - 11 Jun 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3638
Abstract
According to the dynamic characteristics of the rolling bearing vibration signal and the distribution characteristics of its noise, a fault identification method based on the adaptive filtering empirical wavelet transform (AFEWT) and kernel density estimation mutual information (KDEMI) classifier is proposed. First, we [...] Read more.
According to the dynamic characteristics of the rolling bearing vibration signal and the distribution characteristics of its noise, a fault identification method based on the adaptive filtering empirical wavelet transform (AFEWT) and kernel density estimation mutual information (KDEMI) classifier is proposed. First, we use AFEWT to extract the feature of the rolling bearing vibration signal. The hypothesis test of the Gaussian distribution is carried out for the sub-modes that are obtained by the twice decomposition of EWT, and Gaussian noise is filtered out according to the test results. In this way, we can overcome the noise interference and avoid the mode selection problem when we extract the feature of the signal. Then we combine the advantages of kernel density estimation (KDE) and mutual information (MI) and put forward a KDEMI classifier. The mutual information of the probability density combining the unknown signal feature vector and the probability density of the known type signal is calculated. The type of the unknown signal is determined via the value of the mutual information, so as to achieve the purpose of fault identification of the rolling bearing. In order to verify the effectiveness of AFEWT in feature extraction, we extract signal features using three methods, AFEWT, EWT, and EMD, and then use the same classifier to identify fault signals. Experimental results show that the fault signal has the highest recognition rate by using AFEWT for feature extraction. At the same time, in order to verify the performance of the AFEWT-KDEMI method, we compare two classical fault signal identification methods, SVM and BP neural network, with the AFEWT-KDEMI method. Through experimental analysis, we found that the AFEWT-KDEMI method is more stable and effective. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

36 pages, 1391 KiB  
Review
Uncertainty Relations for Coarse–Grained Measurements: An Overview
by Fabricio Toscano, Daniel S. Tasca, Łukasz Rudnicki and Stephen P. Walborn
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 454; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060454 - 10 Jun 2018
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6195
Abstract
Uncertainty relations involving incompatible observables are one of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics. Aside from their fundamental significance, they play an important role in practical applications, such as detection of quantum correlations and security requirements in quantum cryptography. In continuous variable systems, the [...] Read more.
Uncertainty relations involving incompatible observables are one of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics. Aside from their fundamental significance, they play an important role in practical applications, such as detection of quantum correlations and security requirements in quantum cryptography. In continuous variable systems, the spectra of the relevant observables form a continuum and this necessitates the coarse graining of measurements. However, these coarse-grained observables do not necessarily obey the same uncertainty relations as the original ones, a fact that can lead to false results when considering applications. That is, one cannot naively replace the original observables in the uncertainty relation for the coarse-grained observables and expect consistent results. As such, several uncertainty relations that are specifically designed for coarse-grained observables have been developed. In recognition of the 90th anniversary of the seminal Heisenberg uncertainty relation, celebrated last year, and all the subsequent work since then, here we give a review of the state of the art of coarse-grained uncertainty relations in continuous variable quantum systems, as well as their applications to fundamental quantum physics and quantum information tasks. Our review is meant to be balanced in its content, since both theoretical considerations and experimental perspectives are put on an equal footing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum Foundations: 90 Years of Uncertainty)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 5734 KiB  
Article
Entropy and Geometric Objects
by Georg J. Schmitz
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 453; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060453 - 9 Jun 2018
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7890
Abstract
Different notions of entropy can be identified in different scientific communities: (i) the thermodynamic sense; (ii) the information sense; (iii) the statistical sense; (iv) the disorder sense; and (v) the homogeneity sense. Especially the “disorder sense” and the “homogeneity sense” relate to and [...] Read more.
Different notions of entropy can be identified in different scientific communities: (i) the thermodynamic sense; (ii) the information sense; (iii) the statistical sense; (iv) the disorder sense; and (v) the homogeneity sense. Especially the “disorder sense” and the “homogeneity sense” relate to and require the notion of space and time. One of the few prominent examples relating entropy to both geometry and space is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of a Black Hole. Although this was developed for describing a physical object—a black hole—having a mass, a momentum, a temperature, an electrical charge, etc., absolutely no information about this object’s attributes can ultimately be found in the final formulation. In contrast, the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy in its dimensionless form is a positive quantity only comprising geometric attributes such as an area A—the area of the event horizon of the black hole, a length LP—the Planck length, and a factor 1/4. A purely geometric approach to this formulation will be presented here. The approach is based on a continuous 3D extension of the Heaviside function which draws on the phase-field concept of diffuse interfaces. Entropy enters into the local and statistical description of contrast or gradient distributions in the transition region of the extended Heaviside function definition. The structure of the Bekenstein-Hawking formulation is ultimately derived for a geometric sphere based solely on geometric-statistical considerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from 4th International Electronic Conference on Entropy and Its Applications)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6205 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Newton–Successive Substitution Method for Multiphase Rachford-Rice Equations
by Ran Gao, Xiaolong Yin and Zhiping Li
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060452 - 9 Jun 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5419
Abstract
In multiphase (≥3) equilibrium calculations, when the Newton method is used to solve the material balance (Rachford-Rice) equations, poorly conditioned Jacobian can lead to false convergence. We present a robust successive substitution method that solves the multiphase Rachford-Rice equations sequentially using the method [...] Read more.
In multiphase (≥3) equilibrium calculations, when the Newton method is used to solve the material balance (Rachford-Rice) equations, poorly conditioned Jacobian can lead to false convergence. We present a robust successive substitution method that solves the multiphase Rachford-Rice equations sequentially using the method of bi-section while considering the monotonicity of the equations and the locations of singular hyperplanes. Although this method is slower than Newton solution, as it does not rely on Jacobians that can become poorly conditioned, it can be inserted into Newton iterations upon the detection of a poorly conditioned Jacobian. Testing shows that embedded successive substitution steps effectively improved the robustness. The benefit of the Newton method in the speed of convergence is maintained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Thermodynamics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 2259 KiB  
Article
Atom-Diffraction from Surfaces with Defects: A Fermatian, Newtonian and Bohmian Joint View
by Ángel S. Sanz
Entropy 2018, 20(6), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/e20060451 - 9 Jun 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4431
Abstract
Bohmian mechanics, widely known within the field of the quantum foundations, has been a quite useful resource for computational and interpretive purposes in a wide variety of practical problems. Here, it is used to establish a comparative analysis at different levels of approximation [...] Read more.
Bohmian mechanics, widely known within the field of the quantum foundations, has been a quite useful resource for computational and interpretive purposes in a wide variety of practical problems. Here, it is used to establish a comparative analysis at different levels of approximation in the problem of the diffraction of helium atoms from a substrate consisting of a defect with axial symmetry on top of a flat surface. The motivation behind this work is to determine which aspects of one level survive in the next level of refinement and, therefore, to get a better idea of what we usually denote as quantum-classical correspondence. To this end, first a quantum treatment of the problem is performed with both an approximated hard-wall model and then with a realistic interaction potential model. The interpretation and explanation of the features displayed by the corresponding diffraction intensity patterns is then revisited with a series of trajectory-based approaches: Fermatian trajectories (optical rays), Newtonian trajectories and Bohmian trajectories. As it is seen, while Fermatian and Newtonian trajectories show some similarities, Bohmian trajectories behave quite differently due to their implicit non-classicality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emergent Quantum Mechanics – David Bohm Centennial Perspectives)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-89
Previous Issue
Next Issue
Back to TopTop